• No snappy title this week – so far I can’t think of anything that rhymes with pretzel nor makes sense as a pun. Anyone? In any case, besides being an awkward rhyming tool, “a pretzel is a bread pastry of German origin, that has the shape of a three looped knot or twisted braid. Pretzels are either soft or hard. Hard pretzels have evolved into a variety of shapes from knotted loops to straight “pretzel sticks” (called “Salzstangen” in German, Ropi in Hungarian). The pretzel dough is made from wheat flour, water, sugar and yeast, sprinkled with coarse salt.” For more history, check it out here.
• Don’t play with your food – but do use it for fashion (featuring Stanley Stellar’s Pretzel Decolette and Cheez Doodle Choker).
• Preztels, though often considered a cheap snack, must cost more to manufacture than we think. In the case of major airlines … no more pretzels? (lack of pretzels here and here also).
Additionally, General Mills cut costs last year by reducing the number pretzel shapes in Chex Mix.
• Behold! A Pretzel amusement park ride. The track looks more akin to an amoeba, but either way it would probably make me dizzy.
• No pretzel post would be complete without mention of a human pretzel. That’s just one example of course, but wow I hurt just watching it.
• “These pretzels … are making me thirsty!!”
• Pretzels can also be dangerous. Always remember to chew properly!
• Another case of Ordinary People Making Millions: the founder of Auntie Anne’s Preztels is a former housewife with an 8th grade education. She and her husband have made their fortune selling seaweed-flavored pretzels in Singapore and date-flavored pretzels in Saudi Arabia. Business is so lucrative, some people are moving to China to open Auntie Annes there.
• No love for the pretzel? Although the Pretzel Museum has gone under (did anyone manage a trip before it closed?), you can still read about it here and learn more pretzel facts (such as, did you know pretzels without salt are called baldies?)
• If you do want to show your pretzel pride, check out this contest that pits the Pretzel Dog against the Hot Dog as the ultimate summer snack. To be honest, I’ve never had a Pretzel Dog. Has anyone else?
If you make homemade pretzels or have any tasty snack tips, please share them below! Also, what foods would you guys like to see Dietribes cover in the future?
Hungry for more? Venture into the Dietribes archive.
‘Dietribes’ appears every other Wednesday. Food photos taken by Johanna Beyenbach. You might remember that name from our post about her colorful diet.
Comments (20)
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How about a dietribes on jawbreakers? Mythbusters did a fascinating experiment involving a jawbreaker heated up in the microwave – dangerous, but so interesting. Also, why are they so hard to find in stores (I can’t seem to find them anywhere in the South).
posted by bas on 9-17-2008 at 12:14 pm
…that choked the President
no rhyming..but a little alliteration.
posted by septer on 9-17-2008 at 12:14 pm
The best soft pretzels ever are the ones in the Philadelphia area, specifically those in the Pensauken Mart in New Jersey. These are the pretzels of my dad’s childhood and everytime we go there we have to have about a zillion. The Mart’s old building was closed, but I know the preztel people moved somewhere else.
posted by Julia on 9-17-2008 at 12:22 pm
I may have warped tastebuds, but I have always enjoyed my pretzels with either mustard or with any flavor of sherbet.
posted by Quincy on 9-17-2008 at 12:29 pm
I’ve had a pretzel dog – it was disgusting.
posted by ian on 9-17-2008 at 12:53 pm
Well, well. A Twisted History of Dough. I love pretzels and they are great dipped in Ranch dressing
posted by JaneM on 9-17-2008 at 1:08 pm
i would call this article:
A Twisted Tale of a Treat
:)
posted by mor on 9-17-2008 at 1:15 pm
Re: chokeability
All bets’ll
be off
if you scoff
down your pretzel.
posted by Ned on 9-17-2008 at 2:12 pm
Ever had a deli sandwich prepared on a pretzel roll? Mmmmm… delicious!
posted by Craig on 9-17-2008 at 2:27 pm
Not a recipe, but a new twist on an old one. Next time you fry chicken, try using pulverized pretzels instead of flour or flake for your coating.
I wouldn’t mind seeing Dietribes cover Barbecue.
posted by Jason! on 9-17-2008 at 2:53 pm
I’ve had a pretzel dog as well and refuse to ever buy one again. I think it was the combination of flavors and textures that threw me off.
However, using pretzel bread for sandwiches and such is a winner hands down.
posted by Christopher on 9-17-2008 at 3:35 pm
“Preztels, though often considered a cheap snack…..”
Do I get a prize for finding the typo? ;-)
posted by SpellChecker on 9-17-2008 at 3:37 pm
I had a pretzel dog for lunch, LOL… I do like them!!!!
I’d like to see a story on hummus. Or have I missed that? I travel a lot :/
I also would love a story about gnocchi. I find it intriguing. Or cous cous. Because I love it!
posted by Kelly J on 9-17-2008 at 3:41 pm
I love pretzel dogs! Of course, I only get them at the street stands after a night of drinking, so that could skew my taste buds a bit.
posted by leigh on 9-17-2008 at 3:49 pm
The pretzel in the pic looks quite yummy, but the thought that salt is falling into the keyboard of someone’s Macbook makes me sad.
posted by August on 9-17-2008 at 9:40 pm
First title that came to mind was “Twisted Prayers.” Looks like several other commenters are twisted too.
Are there any plans for a mental floss blog forum? The comments are part of what I love about this blog. It’d be great if there were an easier way to see which posts have new comments, and have nested threads etc
posted by pc on 9-18-2008 at 1:45 am
i love pretzels. end of story.
posted by Ryder on 9-18-2008 at 11:25 am
Pretzel Dogs are fantastic and anyone who disagrees is a liar.
posted by Amanda H. on 9-18-2008 at 12:30 pm
I love pretzels, but no American pretzel compares to the ones sold by vendors on the streets in Germany. I miss those…
Also, my mom used to make a layered dessert she called Pretzel Salad. It is strawberry Jell-O with strawberries in it on the first layer, cream cheese and whipped cream mixed together on the second, and the bottom is crunched-up pretzels held together with butter. My favorite!! Now I need to get that recipe from her…
posted by Orange on 9-18-2008 at 3:09 pm
Just an FYI: The Pretzel Mart bakery did indeed move. Just about a mile up by the corner of Cinnaminson Ave and Rte 130!
And they’re still the best pretzels around!
posted by jakshadows on 2-16-2009 at 10:01 am